


Alive

by deathofsea



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: F/M, Post S8E3, Season 8, The Battle for the Dawn, The Long Night, spoilers for s8e3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-01
Updated: 2019-05-01
Packaged: 2020-02-10 23:15:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,680
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18670345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/deathofsea/pseuds/deathofsea
Summary: Even though he didn’t want to admit it all those years ago when they parted their ways, she indeed was his family.In which Gendry is looking for his only family after the Battle for the Dawn.





	Alive

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is probably really bad but I just had to write this idea down.

He was alive. He thought he was dreaming, that perhaps he was in some kind of afterlife, but the smell of the dead and blood surrounding him was too real not to be true. The smell was dreadful, but the sight of what remained after the battle was beyond worse. Piles and piles of dead bodies, men, women, children. Crumbled walls, fire spreading everywhere, survivors on their knees feeling both relieved and shocked that it’s all over now and that they had probably witnessed and lived through the worst few hours of their lives. Winterfell was in ruins, people were scarred for life and there was no coming back from there. Everything has changed and they have to accept that, stand back to their feet, burn the dead, rebuild their home and continue to live their lives.

But for now, Gendry’s only wish was to try not to pass out. Adrenaline was still rushing through him and he could feel horrid dizziness taking over him.

Beside him, Tormund let his body drop to the ground or more precisely on the pile of corpses where they have been trapped fighting for the last hour or so. Gendry looked down at him and ginger man let out a tired sigh.

“I assume we won.” Tormund breathed out, slight tremble obvious in his voice.

_We won. And we’re alive. I’m alive. Is she alive?_

He had to find her, he had to know that she was alright, because even a thought of losing her again was too painful and completely unbearable. Even though he didn’t want to admit it all those years ago when they parted their ways, she indeed was his family. The only family he ever had. Not everyone could say that a scrawny little girl pretending to be a boy, but now a grown women, is their family, but it was his. And she was more than enough.

He made his way down from the pile he was standing on, trying not to lose his balance. The courtyard was demolished, it was unrecognizable and he didn’t quite know where he was going.

He caught a sight of Ser Davos and immediately went to the older man embracing him in a tight hug.

“You’re tough to kill, aren’t you?” Ser Davos pulled away from a hug and patted scared lad on the shoulder. He smiled at him “I’m glad you’re still among the living.”

Gendry was worn out, drained, he didn’t have strength to reply but only to smile back at him.

“Have you by any chance seen Arya?” he figured maybe Ser Davos knew where she was since he last saw her with him up on the castle walls before most of it crumbled down to the ground.

“Arya? Lady Stark?”

“Yes, yes. Lady Stark” he replied with a trace of hope in his voice.

Line appearing between his brows, Ser Davos gave him a confused look not really knowing why young blacksmith would take an interest in knowing where Lady Stark is.

“I ha—Jon!” older man suddenly called out and Gendry followed his gaze just to see Jon Snow at the entrance of the Godswood. He looked completely miserable and lifeless. Even confused. He was gripping to his sword, hands visibly shaking, chest rapidly moving in the rhythm of his uncontrollable breathing.

Ser Davos rushed to him, Gendry quickly following his step.

“I-I didn’t do it, I don’t know who or how-“ Jon was murmuring, his words barely recognizable.

“You didn’t do what? Jon?” Davos grabbed him by his shoulders gently shaking him, trying to make sense of what Snow was trying to say.

Knowing that he probably won’t get an answer from both Ser Davos and Jon about Arya’s whereabouts, his eyes started to look around in hopes of catching a glimpse of familiar grey eyed girl. He wanted to shout her name, scream until she comes back to him alive and well, wearing that significant smirk of hers while raising her left eyebrow at him like she always does. But it would be pointless to call out her name now when everyone around him was already doing the same, crying the names of their loved ones, the ones they had lost and the ones they wanted to find. Her name would just get lost in the sea of other names.

He was slowly starting to panic, turning around on his heel, helplessly looking for any sign of her. He tried to calm down, took in deep breaths, but it was impossible. The tears started filling his eyes, his vision vas blurred, but he still kept franticly looking around for her. He didn’t want to cry but it seemed like it was the only thing he was capable of doing right then and there. His legs were weak, he didn’t have strength to move, to do anything, except to cry and hope that Arya will come back to him.

And then he heard it. If it was any other name, he would have missed it, it was soft and weary, almost not hearable at all.

“Arya…” the name slipped off of Jon’s lips.

Gendry jerked his head in the direction of where Jon’s eyes were fixed. And there she was, under the tree in the Godswood, kneeling next to his brother who was in a wheelchair.

He wanted to run to her but Jon beat him to it so he just stood there, watching Jon embrace his sister and his brother. Gendry didn’t want to ruin their moment, it was her family after all, so he just leaned against the wall and watched the sight in front of him. And that was enough for him.

As much as he wanted to hug her and hold her and never let her go, he was satisfied with just seeing her alive. She was covered in mud and blood, hers or someone else’s, he didn’t know. She was sweaty, her hair was a mess and she had scratches and bruises all over her face. And yet, it was the most beautiful thing he has ever seen.

He was thankful to Gods that he could see her again, that he could see the way her eyes were sparkling and the way she was so calm even after the destructive battle like this one.

He couldn’t hear what she, Jon and Bran were talking about, but gradually more and more people where entering the Godswood, surrounding them, whispering about the defeat of the Night King.

 _She did it._ He knew that. Of course she would be the one who would kill the Night King. She was the only one apart from Jon who was stupid and stubborn enough to do it.

And then she noticed him. Her eyes found his and he could swear he saw a trace of a smile on her face.

She said something to her brothers not breaking an eye contact with Gendry and then started walking towards him. His heart started beating faster and his breaths were shorter. He was both trilled and terrified.

Gendry slowly pushed himself off of the wall he was leaning on, made a few steps forward and in next moment he was wrapping his arms around her small frame. He was foolish to think looking at her was enough. Even holding her wasn’t enough. He had to feel every piece of her, he wanted to feel that she was close to him, part of him. And he did, and he never have felt more awake, more alive than now, knowing that she is there with him, giving him warmth that he so desperately needed in this frosty morning.

Gendry felt the heaviness in his stomach disappear, all because Arya’s body was pressed against his, all because he was feeling gentle squeeze of hers around his waist.

He wasn’t quite sure for how long they were bathing in each other’s embrace but when he slowly pulled away he figured it was too short because holding her like that for hours still wouldn’t be enough.

He laid his forehead on top of hers, taking her hands into his. He fluttered at the feeling of her being so close, of her breath caressing his skin. He just wanted to take her in, all of her, feel and remember every ounce of her. The world around Gendry melted away as her hand was softly rubbing his.

“You said we were probably going to die. We didn’t” he breathed out. He didn’t know what to say so he said the first thing that came to his mind. He remembered her words before they made love to each other. She wanted to feel what it’s like before they die, and he obliged. He gave her all of him without a second thought. But now, he was scared. She wanted to experience new things, and that was probably all she wanted, but for him it was much more.

“We can forget about what happened after I said that” she replied. But he didn’t want to forget, no. He wanted to experience it again and again and again. Not for pleasure, but to feed his soul and mind, to fill the void, to be hers, completely hers.

“I want to remember” with those words he hoped she could feel what he was feeling for her. He didn’t want to just remember it, but relive it once more. He hoped she could hear simple _I love you_ in those words. _I want to be your family, you are my family._ Because that’s what he meant when he said those words.

“So do I” she lifted her head slightly and looked him in the eyes. And he somehow knew those words meant _I love you too_.

They stood there, sinking each other in, not saying a word, not moving, but still enjoying and cherishing the moment. They didn’t pay attention to hoards of people around them, living ones and dead ones, they didn’t care about Jon’s and Sansa’s confused stares. They only cared about each other and the future ahead of them.


End file.
